Finally a firm move by Indian Govt. on Child Abuse

Aug 17: After getting a shocking news some times before about continuous sexual molestation of a girl student throughout more than a year in north-west Delhi school, finally the government is planning to implement a strict rule against child abuse and sexual violence conducted by any sort of means.

Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury has stated that draft guidelines are being prepared by a high-level committee chaired by WCD joint secretary Loveleen Kacker under Women and Child Development Ministry to overcome the problems of child abuse and sexual molestation. She was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day "Annual Convention on Legislative Coordination for Action on Women Issues" organised by ‘Women Power Connect’, a gathering of about 500 organisations, in Delhi today.

“There is ambiguity at present on how to treat child abuse cases. These guidelines will provide a yardstick for states," Chowdhury said.

As it is known that a girl student of Sardar Patel Vidyalaya had alleged the school staff to sodomise her over a year, the authorities took action quickly.

According to recent survey conducted by ministry among 12,500 children from the various categories, 53.22% of the interviewed accepted that they had faced at least one form of sexual abuse, out of them 49.92% had faced sexual abuse in school.

After approving and implementing successfully, all the states will have to follow these guidelines. It is also suggested in the guidelines that the medical check-up should be conducted under attendance of any close relative of the victims and it would be the right of the victims and their relative to ask for ladies doctors and attendances while going under medical check-ups.

The school will have to take prior written permission of the students’ parents in any sort of medical check-up goes on in the school premise include routine check-up. Every school will have to recruit trained counselor to pioneer the children and parents for overcoming the situations of distress, including sexual abuse, if rules implements successfully.

It also suggests setting up a complaints mechanism in the form of a children’s committee, where students can express themselves freely. Renuka Chowdhary is in the favour of teaching sex education in the school to prevent the sexual abuse, as the student would be more aware about what is right and what is wrong. "Knowledge is power. Children should be informed. They have been told that adults are authority figures, so very often they are puzzled and confused when the same people sexually exploit them”, said Renuka.

It is expected to every school management to conduct police verification of their staff and monitor visitors, screen and register them before they are allowed to enter the campus. The guidelines allow the schools to make allow outsiders or school staff to use the school premises in after-hours only after their verification.

The guidelines have mentioned to watch out the victim’s behaviours to identify the victims, if there is a change in behavioural and physical signs like disturbance in appetite, recurrent nightmares, return to infantile behaviour like bedwetting, thumb sucking, excessive crying, aggressive or disruptive behaviour, inability to concentrate, decline in school performance, unexplained fear of people or places, withdrawal or avoiding parents, friends and social gatherings, the parents must go to the psychologists or counselors.

The porn or abusive email will be also assessing as the act of sexual abuse, confirmed Renuka.

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